Hub



Feb. 10, 1948. Q w s 2,435,764

HUB

Filed July 14, 1945 [/vvE/v'roQ JOHN H. PVESSEL Haze/a, K1504 Fasm? 8cHave/s Foe FIE/7km ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HUB v John a. Weasel. Los Angeles, Calif., alslg'llol' to UtilityAppliance Com, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California 7Application July 14, 1945, Serial No. 605,030

4 Claims. (01. 287-52) My invention relates to hubs and. morespecifically, to a hub which is adapted for being mounted on a shaft inlocked engagement therewith. The present speciflcation includes anexemplary application of the fundamental concepts oi the invention to ahub for a rotor of the type that is employed in centrifugal blowerinstallations. However, the invention is susceptible to various otherapplications and I do not intend to be limited to the specificapplication thereof which is disclosed herein. a

A primary objective of my invention is the provision of a hub of simpleconstruction which includes a minimum number of individual components.the components thereof being easily fabricated and assembled to producethe completed article. The basic components of the hub are preferablyformed of relatively thin material such as sheet metal, for example, andare particularly adapted to being formed by stamping operations.

Another objective of my invention is the provision of a hub which may besecuredto, or formed integrally with a plurality of substantially radialarms. or spokes which support a structure to be carried by the hub. Thestructure to be carried by the hub may. for example, be the'vaneassembly of a rotor for use with centrifug blower installations.

A further objective of my invention is the provision of a hub includinga primary member and a housing member which are secured together todefine a space therebetween, the primary membet-preferably beingsubstantially plane and circular and the housing member preferably beingsubstantially cylindrical. The primary and housing members are providedwith axially aligned openings therethrough which are adapted to receivea suitable shaft.

An additional objective of my invention is the provision of lockingmeans which extends into the space between the primary and housingmembers and is adapted for locked engagement with the shaft to securethe hub thereto. The space between the housing and primary memberspreferably accommodates retaining means which is adapted for engagementwith the locking means to maintain the locking means in engagement withthe shaft.

The foregoing and various other objectives and advantages of myinvention may be realized by means of the embodiments shown in theaccompanying drawing. which is for illustrative purposeonly.wherein:- I

Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating an exemplary application ofmy invention to a. rotor for a centrifugal blower installation, parts ofthe Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the hub' and is taken asindicated by the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view which is similar to Fig. 3, but illustrates anotherembodiment of my invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the rotor includes a vaneassembly III which is mounted on annular rims II, the rims II beingconnected to hubs l2 by substantially radial arms II. The arms 13 arepreferably formed integrally with the hubs i2 and may also be formedintegrally with the annular rims i I if desired. The constructionillustrated provides for welding the rims ii to the arms I! as indicatedat M, al-

, though the rims I i and arms l3 may be connected in any suitablemanner as is well known in the art.

Each hub l2 includes a primary member it which is preferably asubstantially plane and circular disc that is formed integrally with thearms i3. A housing member vll is secured to the disc I6 and cooperatestherewith to define a space i8 therebetween, the housing member I!preferably being substantially cylindrical and being defined by atransverse wall I9 and peripheral wall 2|. The housing member I! alsoincludes an annular flange 22 which is formed integrally with theperipheral wall 2i thereof, the flange 22 being secured to the disc [6in any suitable manner. The disc l8 and transverse wall I9 of thehousing H are provided with substantially aligned axial openings 23 and24 therethrough, respectively, the openings 23 and 24 being adapted toaccommodate a shaft 26 (shown in phantom in Fig. 3).

The peripheral wall 2| of the housing i1 is provided with a radialopening 21 therethrough which communicates with the space l8, a portion28 of the housing ll adjacent the radial opening 21 being,deformedoutwardly to provide a receptacle 29 which forms part of thespace l8. The hub l2 includes locking means 3| which extends through theopening 21 and receptacle 29 into the space ill, the locking means 3|being adapted for locked engagement with the shaft 26 to preventrelative rotation of the hub i2 and shaft 26. The locking means II ismaintained assures 3, in locked engagement with the shaft 26 byretaining means 32 disposed in the receptacle 23, the retaining-means 32being secured in the receptacle 23 by axially aligned projections 33 and34 which extend into the space I3. The projection 33 is formedintegrally with the disc I3 and the projection 34 is formed integrallywith the transverse wall I3 of the housing IT.

The locking means 3I preferably comprises a locking member such as aconventional bolt having a head 36 and a threaded shank 31, the shank 31being inserted into the space I3 through the radial opening 21. Theretaining means 32 preferably comprises a retaining member such as aconventional nut having a threaded hole 33 therethrough, the threads onthe wall of the hole 33 in the retaining member 32 being complementaryto and adapted for engagement with the threads on the locking member 3|to retain the locking member 3i.

The hub I2 is adapted for economical and rapid fabrication and assembly,the primary member, or disc I6 and housing I'I being particularlyadapted to being formed by stamping operations. If desired, the disc I6may also be formed integrally with the arms I3 as previously indicated.

The flange 22 of the housing Il may be secured to the disc I6 bywelding, riveting. or otherwise as is well known in the art. The lockingmember 3! and retaining member 32 provide a simple means for locking thehub I2 relative to the shaft 26 and are adapted for facile assembly withthe disc I6 and housing H, the retaining member 32 being secured only bythe projections 33 and 34.

The embodiment of the hub shown in Fig. 4 is similar to the embodimentpreviously described and is indicated generally by the numeral I I2, thecomponents of the hub II2 being identified by numerals which diifer fromthe identifying numerals of corresponding components of the hub I2 bythe addition of the numeral ,100" thereto. Thus, the hub I I2 includes aprimary member, or disc II6 which is secured to a cylindrical housingII! to define a space II3 therebetween, the housing III'includinglitransverse wall H3 and peripheral wall I 2i. The disc II6 and housingI I1 are provided with axial openings I23 and I24, respectively, whichare adapted for accommodating a shaft I26, and portions of the disc H6and housing II! are bent to define axially aligned projections I33 andI34 which extend into the space I I8 to secure a retaining member I32.The retaining member I32 is disposed in the space I I8 adjacent theperipheral wall I2I of the housing II'I, thereby eliminating thereceptacle 29 of the huh I 2. The peripheral wall I2I of the housing IIIis provided with a radial opening I2'I for a locking member I3I which isadapted for threaded engagement with the retaining member I32 in themanner previously described, the locking member I3I being adapted forengagement with the shaft I26 to lock the hub II2 thereto.

The hub I I2 may be fabricated more easily and economically than the hubI2 by virtue of the elimination of the receptacle 29 for the retainingmember 32. The retaining member I32 is disposed in the space I I3between the shaft I26 and the peripheral wall I2l of the housing II! andis secured therein by the inwardly extending projections I33 and I34.

Although I have described two exemplary e1n bodiments of my inventionand have described an application of one of the embodiments thereof to arotor for centrifugal blowers, I do not intend to be limited to thespecific disclosures contained 4 herein since the invention may beamplifi d in other installations and various changes, modifications, andsubstitutions may be incorporated in the invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hub, the combination of: a disc provided with a central opening;a generally cupshaped member connected to said disc and coop cratingtherewith to define a space, said cupshaped member including aperipheral wall having a radial opening which communicates with saidspace, and including a transverse wall having a central opening which isaligned with said opening in said disc; a' nut having a threaded openingtherethrough, said nut being positioned in said space with said threadedopening in registry with said radial opening in said peripheral wall,and being in contact with portions of said transverse and peripheralwalls and with 'a portion on said disc and a projection on saidtransverse wall, said projections extending into said space and engagingsaid nut; and a screw extending through said radial'openingin saidperiph eral wall and threaded in said opening in said nut.

2. In a hub, the combination of: a generally cup-shaped member having aradially extending flange having a transverse wall spaced from andsubstantially parallel to said flange, and having a peripheral walljoining said fiange and, said transverse wall, said peripheral wallhaving a radially extending opening and said transverse wall beingprovided with an axially extending opening; a disc secured to saidflange and provided with an axially extending opening which is alignedwith said opening in said transverse wall,

said disc cooperating with said peripheral and 4 transverse walls toprovide a space; a nut having a threaded opening therethrough, said nutbeing so positioned in said space that said threaded opening registerswith said radially extending opening in said peripheral wall; and meansincluding a projection on said disc and a projection on said transversewall for retaining said nut in said position, said projections extendinginwardly into said space into engagement with said nut and being spacedradially from the respective openings in said disc and said transversewall.

3. A hub as set forth in claim 2 in which said projections for retainingsaid nut are formed by bending portions of said disc and said transverse wall inwardly into said space at points spaced radially from therespective openings in said disc and said transverse wall.

4. In a rotor, the combination of: a disc provided with a centralopening; a plurality of outwardly extending radial arms connected attheir inner ends to said disc; an annular rim connected to said arms attheir outer ends; a plurality of vanes carried by said rim; a generallycup-shaped member connected to said disc and cooperating therewith todefine a space, said cup-shaped member having a peripheral wall which isprovided with a radially extending opening communicating with saidspace, and having a transverse wall which is provided with a centralopening, said opening in said disc and said opening in 'said transversewall being axially aligned; a

nut provided with a threaded opening there f ammo c )6 said radialopening in said peripheral wall: means comprising a projection on saiddisc and a pro.- ENC S QITED 13mm on remain The following references areof record in the nut in such a position, said projections extendmm ofthis patent:

inginwardlyintosaidspaceandenzazinzs dl f nut; and a screw extendingvthrough said radial m STATES PA-ENTS opening in said peripheral wall andthreaded in Number Name Date said opening in said nut. 895,409 HallowellAug. 4. 1908 1,045,283 Hallowell Nov. 26, 1912 mm a. 1 1,550,173 Lamar-Au.18, 1925

